


A Sort of Idea

by awkwardsorta



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Cheering Up, Gen, Picnics, no clasico drama, no rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-04
Updated: 2012-04-04
Packaged: 2017-11-14 09:41:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/513883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awkwardsorta/pseuds/awkwardsorta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because: I get bored at work; Cesc takes a lot of attention from some of Messi's best looking-after people; Ronaldo can totally spot an isolated star; and Kaka's just nice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sort of Idea

"Yes," Messi says, "We're all very happy to have Cesc here."

"And you especially," the journalist probes. "The dream team back together again?"

"Yes," Messi says, and stares off to the side, a little dolefully. "Gerard is really happy too."

They run the clip on the sports report later, and Cristiano watches it as he feeds some gloop to Cris Jr. He's distracted and the spoon ends up somewhere near Cris' ear, which delights him no end.

"Yeah, hilarious," Cristiano says. "You know that's the first time I've missed the target in probably six years?"

It's okay, he thinks, by the time Cris is old enough to figure that out he'll probably also be old enough to take the mick, so Cristiano doesn't have to worry about coming across all egotistical and being a bad example.

He puts Cris to bed with the help of his mother, and then he goes back downstairs. He's tidying the mess they left when the sports report loops all the way around and the clip comes back on again. He watches it, and then he calls Kaka.

"Hey," he says. "Watch the sports report. Call me back."

Kaka calls him back. "Which part?"

"The part with Messi."

"Okay." And then instead of hanging up, he and Kaka talk about their day.

"Wait," Kaka says, halfway through Cristiano talking about the article he read in the Guardian. "Messi's just come on."

He's silent for a minute, and Cristiano takes the opportunity to get a glass of water. Then Kaka says, "Oh." Just like that.

"Right?" Cristiano says.

"Oh," Kaka says again, and sounds a little sad with it. Cristiano wants to give him a hug.

"We should do something," he says instead, and Kaka is quick to agree.

***

Cristiano calls up Leo because they sort of know each other. He maybe fudges the details a little bit, but only to make it easier for Leo to say yes.

"We'll be in Barcelona," he says, "Me and Kaka. Next Tuesday, we have a day off. Do you want to hang out?"

Leo sounds confused, and Cristiano can't blame him. He would be confused too, if Leo called him and asked him to 'hang out' with him and - well - who else was kind of the point. Leo agrees though, despite obvious reservations, and they make plans to meet at noon.

***

"This is a good idea, isn't it?" Kaka is sitting in the passenger seat, a huge picnic basket balanced on his lap.

"Are you alright there?"

Kaka shifts it a little. "Yes," he says. "You might want to consider a more practical car though. You know they make sports cars for families?"

Cristiano laughs and laughs at that.

"Yes it's a good idea," he says when he gets his breath back. "Kaka, all my ideas are good ideas."

"Like celebrating by exposing yourself?"

"Kaka!" Cristiano's trying not to laugh again but it's hard. He focuses on the road. "My thigh doesn't count as exposing."

Kaka snorts.

"Anyway you loved it."

Kaka snorts again, but when Cristiano glances over he is grinning over the top of the basket. Cristiano really kind of loves him.

***

They hit a snag when they get to Leo's house. Cristiano's car might be a two-plus-picnic-basket-seater, but three people is pushing it. "We'll take mine," Leo says, still vaguely perplexed but polite to the end.

They drive out to a park in the hills. The coastline places are always too crowded, but Leo knows the quieter reserves hidden up in the brush. They park, walk a way to a view, and settle down.

"So," Leo starts, once they have laid out a blanket and Kaka has 'been mother', as Cristiano puts it, handing out sandwiches and drinks. "Is this - is this like - something you do?"

"Like a weird Madrid custom?" Cristiano says, letting himself laugh a little at Leo who has always been quick to laugh at himself in the past. Leo doesn't let him down, grinning back at him and shading his eyes from the sun.

"Yeah sure," Leo says. "Wait, is this the secret to all your goals this season?"

"Yeah right," Cristiano says. "As if I'd show you that."

Kaka's off to the side, grinning and shaking his head.

"I'm just kidding," says Cristiano, and he reaches into the basket. "This is the secret to all my goals."

He hands Leo a carton of apple juice. Leo eyes it speculatively. "Apple juice?" he says, "Or the fact that you drink out of lunchbox cartons?"

Kaka starts laughing, which never fails to set Cristiano off. "Shut up," he says, "I have a kid!"

Kaka leans in to Leo. "Don't believe that," he says. "Baby Cris is a very convenient excuse, if you know what I'm saying."

"I will push you off this mountain," Cristiano says, but he's laughing, they all are. It's nice watching Leo laugh. Cristiano likes people who can laugh easily.

When they're almost sober again, Leo makes a face and admits, "I use my nieces and nephews as an excuse to play with lego." And it sets them all off again.

***

They sit there for a few hours, and then they go back to Leo's and they have a drink before Cristiano and Kaka have to go home.

"This was nice," Leo says, musingly. He has a very weak whisky and Coke, which Cristiano finds inexplicably entertaining, and he's spinning it in his hand as he talks. "Any particular reason for it?"

Cristiano looks at Kaka but Kaka only smiles at him, small and warm, like he does before a match. "Well," Cristiano tries. "You know. Sometimes it's nice to see someone outside your team."

Leo looks between them like he isn't fooled for a second, which Cristiano thinks is understandable, but he's not going to come right out and say he felt sorry for Leo.

“And if I know Gerard,” Cristiano tries again, “which I do, everyone needs a break from him at some point.”

Leo smiles, but it’s kind of small, and that wasn’t really the thing to say at all.

“It’s nice to hang out with you,” Kaka says, and then Leo smiles properly. Cristiano feels caught out by Kaka, again.

“Yeah,” Leo says. “You should come again.”

“Or you can come to Madrid.”

Leo takes a drink, and smiles slyly. “No,” he says. “I’m not allowed. It’s against our rules.”

Cristiano laughs. “Come on,” he says. “We promise not to kidnap you.”

“Well, we do,” Kaka says. “I mean, we can’t promise about the others.” He looks at Cristiano and Cristiano laughs more. Kaka smiles at him, and Leo laughs at the both of them.

“You’re like Cesc and Gerard,” he says, apropos of nothing. “I mean, this is like being with them. Except slightly less obnoxious.”

Cristiano thinks he never wants to leave. He didn’t know he would find Leo this funny, has never had a chance to really get to know him. Kaka looks like he doesn’t know whether to find that funny or be polite.

“I love them,” Leo says, “but they are obnoxious.”

Cristiano puts his face in the side of the armchair he’s in and gives into laughter. When he emerges, Leo and Kaka are still smiling in the aftermath.

***

Leo says thank you, when they’re standing in the front hall.

Kaka smiles and Cristiano reaches out a hand, which Leo takes.

In the car, picnic basket back on his lap, Kaka looks across at Cristiano and it’s distracting enough that Cristiano returns the look at the next set of lights.

“What,” he says, and reaches a hand up to mess through Kaka’s hair.

“You’re nicer than they say you are,” Kaka says, and Cristiano shrugs, smiles. He takes the parking brake off and speeds into the fast lane. He doesn’t have much to say to that, never does, but he keeps it like a secret inside himself all the way home.


End file.
